Natalia Partyka Was Born Without A Right Forearm, But She's Won Medals Against Able-Bodied Table Tennis Players
For able-bodied athletes the struggle is bad enough, but if you are battling a handicap and playing a sport, then as a para-athlete, you have that extra bit of work to do. But for Natalia Partyka, it has only strengthened her resolve. This table tennis player was has just one full arm and she has gone toe to toe with able-bodied players as well and held her ground. As of 2010 she was ranked in the top 50 among able-bodied players and as of 2018 s...Read More
For able-bodied athletes the struggle is bad enough, but if you are battling a handicap and playing a sport, then as a para-athlete, you have that extra bit of work to do. But for Natalia Partyka, it has only strengthened her resolve. This table tennis player was has just one full arm and she has gone toe to toe with able-bodied players as well and held her ground. As of 2010 she was ranked in the top 50 among able-bodied players and as of 2018 she was ranked one among para table tennis players.
Natalia was born without a right forearm so essentially she had use of her left hand when it came to properly hold things. So her table tennis paddle is in her left hand as she uses the rest of her body to balance and coordinate her shots. She uses her right limb to serve and despite the drawbacks, has had an exceptional record at the top level.
She one of the few athletes to have taken part in the Olympics as well as the Paralympics. It just shows how determined she is to make things count.
In able-bodied tournaments, Natalia has won silver in the 2009 edition of the European Championships along with a bronze back in 2008. Not to mention her European Games bronze in 2019. But of course like any para-athlete, it was the Paralympics where she dominated.
As many as 5 gold medals were won by her along with a silver and bronze. That's 7 Paralympic medals which is no mean feat. This happened between 2004 to 2016 and trust her to continue the trend in 2020 too.
The European Para Table Tennis Championships saw her bag 17 gold and 2 silver medals between 1999 and 2017. Now that is a rich haul indeed. She is pretty much second to none and almost has no equal in her field. The numbers are certainly in her favour.
From 2002 to 2018, Natalia took home 7 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze at the World Para Table Tennis Championships. It more or less puts her in a class of her own.
40 international medals, battle against the lack of one forearm and having to put in that extra effort, Natalia is the benchmark for inspiration and she is doing a good job of showing that will power can overcome adversity. More power to her indeed.